The Shift
by Elite Shade
Summary: A spin-off of The Door, this story follows the story of the humans after they have undergone certain...changes...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there dear readers! Welcome to chapter one of my new spin-off story,** _ **The Shift**_ **! WARNING: It would be best if you have already read the first fifteen chapters of my other story** _ **The Door**_ **. Just a heads up. I truly hope that you enjoy this new story!**

The Shift

by

Elite Shade

"Uhm...Doctor?"

"Yes Miss Blackthorne?" the armadillo in the lab coat said while wiping his profusely sweaty forehead and looking around anxiously.

"I don't know how to tell you this...but your moustache appears to be...peeling off." Lily said.

"What? OH! Th-That...uhm...w-w-well...th-that's b-because I'm,...uhm...sh-shedding! Yes, I am shedding! It's something that armadillos do regularly!"

"Oh...alright then Doctor." Lily said, a little skeptically.

"Now about those samples. I'm going to need to collect some blood samples, some skin samples, and maybe a few hair samples. Also, I would very much like to ask you about your world. Specifically your obvious technological superiority." Edwin said, unable to keep the excitement from his voice as the fake moustache continued to dangle above his upper lip, halfway peeled off. Lily was beginning to feel more and more nervous about the lab coat-clad armadillo standing before her. While he was pulling out a syringe, a scalpel, a plastic baggie, and what looked like a tape recorder, Lily quickly and discreetly pushed the nurse call button.

Lily suddenly noticed that she was feeling faint, as she backed up away from the advancing armadillo. Her vision became blurry, and the room started spinning. Just as Robbie, Renato, and the two hospital security guard arrived, Lily collapsed onto the bed. All four pairs of eyes looked to the unconscious human woman, and then shifted, as one, to Edwin, as he stood there dumbfounded, his fake moustache peeling all the way off, now realizing that there were others. He turned to see that they were glaring at him, making him look down to the syringe in his hands, then back to the unconscious Lily.

"I-I-I know how this looks, but hear me out. I didn't even touch her!" Edwin started to explain, before Renato let our a roar. Edwin instinctively curled up into a ball, frightened of the much larger jaguar. Robbie took this time to rush over to Lily's side and check her pulse, before hitting the nurse call button himself.

 _Back at Precinct 1..._

"Chief, you wanted to see me?" Judy asked as she entered Bogo's open office door.

"Officer Hopps, please have a seat." Chief Bogo said, removing his glasses. Judy complied as she hopped up and sat down, staring at the large cape buffalo.

"No need to look so serious Hopps, I just want to ask you how things are with the human boy."

"Oh." Judy said, her ears perking up in relief. "Eli is doing wonderfully. I've currently got him all set up with a tutor, and so far he seems not too put off to the idea of attending school." Judy said proudly.

"I see, and there haven't been any problems with him?"

Judy smiled broadly. "No sir! Eli is a very sweet boy. He's definitely on the shy side, but over the past week he has started to really open up."

"Alright, what about other mammals? Have there been any problems with how others are reacting to his presence?" Judy's perked up ears immediately drooped. Seeing this, Bogo sighed. "So what happened?"

"Well, aside from a skunk and his two friends making fun of Eli, which Nick handled wonderfully, there was an incident that happened just this morning."

Bogo said nothing as he waited for her to continue. Judy opened her mouth to explain the incident with the crazed armadillo, when suddenly her phone went off. She recognized the ringtone she had set for Nick's phone, a smooth jazz tune. Bogo did not look amused by the sudden interruption, which Judy noticed right away.

"Hehe, sorry Chief. Let me just put this on silent." The rabbit said as she pulled it out, freezing when she saw the text Nick had sent.

 _At Hospital, Eli collapsed!_

Judy continued to just sit there staring at the phone, a pit forming in her stomach.

"Hopps? What's wrong?" Bogo asked, concerned.

Not saying anything, Judy held the phone up to him. Bogo had to look closely at the rabbit-sized phone, and his eyes went wide as he read the message.

"I'll drive." He said, getting up, with Judy suddenly snapping back to attention.

 _Back at the hospital..._

"So you're saying that you had nothing to do with her collapse?" Arnie said, glaring down at Edwin, who was shaking, making his cuffs rattle.

"I-I-I swear, officer! All I wanted to do was get some samples, and an interview! I hadn't even had the chance to touch her before I was interrupted!"

"Well, officer Packer here is going to take you down to the station," the rhino gestured to the wolf officer, who nodded stoically, "and we'll see what you have to say for yourself then. Right now we've got you for impersonating a doctor, and for trespassing." Chaz started to lead Edwin away, just as several hospital staff rushed by, pushing a stretcher. As a doctor was barking orders, literally as it was a female border collie, Arnie recognized the unconscious form as they passed by.

"Baily?"

"DOCTOR! NURSE1 SOMEBODY!" Arnie whipped around to see a female otter looking around in a panic.

"Mrs. Otterton?" He asked, confused.

"Officer Rams! Please, you have to get someone! It's little Sarah! She just passed out!" She said, her voice rising as she nearly became hysterical. Robbie was soon by her side, comforting her, just as a panda doctor arrived.

 _What's going on?!_

 _Meanwhile..._

Barry was pacing in the waiting room. It had only been a short while ago that he was consoling Russell, who was concerned about going into foster care. Then, all of a sudden, the boy had just collapsed. After he had called for help, he started to notice something happening to Russell. There were a series of audible cracks, that made Barry feel queasy. As help arrived, Barry could see Russell's face start to... change.

That had been an hour ago, and so far, no one was telling him anything. He let out a frustrated sigh, and resumed his pacing.

 _Elsewhere..._

"NICK!" Judy yelled as she ran up to the fox. He was sitting in a chair outside of the room Eli had been assigned to, waiting for her, a certain purple plush gorilla in his paws. "What happened?!"

"Well, Judy, uhm..." Nick looked away, trying to find a way to explain the situation, "See, after Eli collapsed...well, on the ambulance ride over...he..."

"TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KIT!" Judy screamed as she started shaking Nick by his shirt collar, tears in her eyes.

"The doctors' aren't sure about what happened exactly, but as far as all of their tests can tell, Eli's going to be fine!" Nick practically choked out.

"Oh..." Judy said, letting go of Nick's shirt.

"Carrots, wait!" Nick said as Judy stood up to reach for the door handle, making her stop and turn to him.

"There's something else though...something you really need to know." Judy's ears drooped onto her back as numerous thoughts of horrible things happening to Eli ran through her mind. Anxiously, she looked up at him.

"Well... let's just say that you calling him your kit is now a bit more accurate than it would have been a few hours earlier..." Judy looked at Nick quizzically as he trailed off.

 _In Eli's hospital room..._

Slowly, and groggily, Eli started to come to. He opened his eyes, which burned and watered a little, his vision blurry. He blinked a few times, the burning sensation quickly dissipating, and his vision started to clear. It took him a few moments to realize that he was staring at a very familiar-looking ceiling.

 _Am I back in the hospital?_ He wondered to himself as he looked around. He sat up, realizing that he was once more in a hospital gown, and looked to the door as it was slowly pushed open by Judy, who poked her head in.

"Wh-What happened, Judy?" Eli asked. For a second, she only looked at him, before she smiled that warm smile, filled with relief, which always seemed to brighten Eli's mood, and came in. She pushed a chair over to Eli's bed and sat down in it, leaning over to pass him his stuffed gorilla.

"You...uhm...you passed out sweetie." She said, wiping away a tear. "I was so scared." She said as she gingerly pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry!" Eli said as he looked up into her smiling face.

 _Wait, is my bed really low?_

"It wasn't your fault. That's just...that's just what happens when someone learns that someone they love collapses. They get scared." She said, tightening the hug.

"...Y-You...love me?" He asked in a whisper. Judy pulled away to look down into his eyes.

"Yes, Eli, I love you." She leaned over and kissed him on his forehead, before resuming the hug. Eli hugged back, closing his eyes as he smiled. They stayed that way for several minutes before ending the hug. It was after Eli had a little bit to think things over, that he came to a realization.

"J-Judy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"...Why are you taller than me right now?"

Judy sighed as she looked him right in the eye. "I need you to stay calm sweetheart, okay?"

"...O-Okay." Eli said, starting to feel nervous.

"Eli, please look down at you hands."

Unsure of where this was going, Eli did as he was told, and looked down at his hands. Except, where his two human hands should have been, there was now two paws. The backs were covered in a light grey fur, with white on the "palms".

 _They look like Judy's..._ He thought, numb, as he held them out next to Judy's paws, noticing his arms were also covered in the same grey fur. The coloration was very similar, although his "paws" were smaller.

"Judy? I-Is there a mirror?" Judy nodded, and held up a small hand mirror that she had brought in in her back pocket, when she had entered, anticipating this moment. Eli tentatively took it from her, and slowly turned it towards himself. He looked into the glass...and saw the face of a rabbit staring back at him. The grey fur of his face was, again, a match to Judy's, including the white fur around his mouth. His nose was small and pink, and twitching with nervousness. He could see his ears, which were drooping behind him to match his mood. He noticed that they were not as long as Judy's were. When he focused on them, he was able to make them twitch as well. His eyes, the rabbit in the mirror's eyes were the same deep blue that Eli was used to seeing in his own reflection so many times before.

"I'm...I'm a bunny?"

"Yes. From the looks of you, as well as from the tests done while you were unconscious, you're now a young, adolescent rabbit Eli." Judy said gently. Eli was stunned, unsure of what to do, what to say, or even what to feel. He looked back up at Judy.

"Can I still stay with you?" He asked in a whisper again. He was pulled into another hug, as Judy stroked his now longer ears.

"Of course. I'm not letting you go." She said, smiling at just knowing that Eli was alright. Nick and Bogo both looked on, their heads poking through the opened door. They both were smiling at the sight.

"So...how did this happen?" Eli asked, not breaking the hug.

"Well...I'm not entirely sure. I only got here a little while ago."

"You started to change after you were loaded up in the ambulance, bud." Nick said, softly, as he entered, Bogo having already headed off to speak to the doctors himself. "The doctors aren't sure why this happened, but they did tell me that the same thing has happened to the other humans."

"They all turned into bunnies?" Eli asked, surprised at how much bigger Nick was to him now. Nick smiled as he walked towards Eli's bed, ruffling his headfur.

"Nope. That human woman's now a cheetah, the little girl is a little otter, and I heard from Chaz that that Baily guy is now a timber wolf."

"Robbie tell you?" Judy asked.

"Wait, wasn't there another?"

"Yeah, but Robbie hadn't heard he had changed into, just that he had changed too."

"Wow." Judy said, as she pulled Eli close to her again, making Nick smile, and quickly whip out his phone to snap a picture.

"There we go." The fox said, smirking, as he turned his phone and held it up for the two rabbits to see. The picture looked like a mother and son rabbit, sharing a tender hug. "There's one for the album."

"So, how are you feeling there bud?" Nick said as he put his phone away. sitting down on the side of the bed, looking down at Eli. He had been a little worried that Eli was going to feel a little threatened by him after he had seen the finished transformation, but so far that, thankfully, di not seem to be the case.

"My eyes burned a little when I woke up, but they're fine now." Eli said, looking up at Nick. Smiling, Nick bent down and gave Eli a hug himself.

"That's good to hear buddy. You know, you scared me too when you went and collapsed while I was watching you. Couldn't have waited until you had already started school and felt like playing hooky?" Nick joked, receiving a light punch in the arm from Judy.

"Really?"

"What, you didn't think that I cared?" Nick asked, pulling away a little to look down.

"I didn't think that you could get scared. You're always so calm." Eli said, blushing through his fur. Nick smiled as he resumed the hug.

"I know that you can't help but see me as this towering heroic figure. Upholding the law with his faithful bunny sidekick, as he delves into the heart of danger, unafraid." Nick said, winking at Judy as she rolled her eyes and Eli laughed. "However, the truth is, I get scared too. In fact, would you like to know a secret?" Nick asked.

"Yes?" Eli said, feeling unsure.

"I was actually a little scared that you might be afraid of me, once you woke up."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Eli just sat there for a few seconds, processing what he had been told. "Why would you think that I would be afraid of you?"

"Well...because I'm a fox, and you're a bunny now. Lot's of prey animals are naturally afraid of predators, without even ever meeting one. Plus, plenty of mammals, predator and prey alike, have a pretty negative view of foxes in general. Truth be told, back when you were still human, after you said that there were foxes back where you came from, I started to expect you to begin looking at me suspiciously, or even shy away."

"Oh...uhm..." Eli said, looking away.

"What is it bud?"

"Uhm...my... _original_ species...isn't largely afraid or suspicious of foxes back on my home world..."

"Oh?"

"...In fact...uhm...if anything...foxes are viewed as being..."

"I promise I won't get mad buddy, you can tell me." Nick gently pried, his arms still around Eli. Judy leaned forward a little herself.

"K-Kinda...cute..." Judy immediately burst out laughing, while Nick froze.

"Excuse me?"

 **And here it is! I hope that you enjoyed reading this new story arc! Also, rest assured that I will continue writing new chapters for** _ **The Door**_ **, in addition to this new spin-off idea! As always, feel free to leave me a review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello there readers! Here's chapter 2 of** _ **The Shift**_ **! I truly hope that you all enjoy it!**

The Shift (Chapter 2)

by

Elite Shade

"Alright Eli, just one paw in front of the other!" Judy encouraged as Eli slowly stepped forward, holding onto the rails on either side of himself just in case. When Eli had gotten up to use the nearby bathroom, he quickly learned that he did not quite know how to walk with feet much longer than what he was used to, and stumbled repeatedly. So now, he was practicing with a device used mainly for patients who suffered leg or back injuries, and worked to recover from them. What he was using was called the Parallel Bars, which were pretty much a pair of long parallel handrails. Looking around, he saw several different species of mammals on other pieces of exercise equipment, most being supervised by hospital staff. As he looked around, Eli tripped again, thankfully not falling this time due to the rails.

"That's okay sweetie! You're doing great!" Judy reassured, as she reached over and gently rubbed Eli's back through his hospital gown. The doctors were still keeping him and the other _former_ humans for observation and more tests, which, so far, had revealed nothing about the sudden transformations. As Judy, Nick, and Eli had been informed, every single test run on him after his transformation were all exactly normal for a rabbit kit his age.

"That's the third time I tripped today. How is this okay?" Eli sulked, still a little surprised at having to look up at Judy now. She merely beamed down at him, and pulled him into a hug.

"You haven't tripped as much as you did when you first woke up. You also tripped a lot less than you did yesterday. It may not seem like it, but you are getting used to it, so please don't get discouraged, okay sweetie?"

"Okay." Eli said, breaking into a smile, before he was startled by a larger set of paws picking him up. He thrashed around for a bit before coming face to face with a smirking Nick.

"Sorry about that buddy, it's just so hard to resist doing that now, what with you being so much smaller than you were." Judy had to stop herself from commenting on how cute it was to her to see Eli's ears flop down behind him in embarrassment.

"As a further apology, can I interest you in a foxyback ride?"

"A foxy what?" Eli's question was answered when Nick placed him on his shoulders. Once more, Eli could look down at Judy. "...I guess that this is okay...kinda embarrassing though..."

"What's so embarrassing about this?" Nick asked as he and Judy started to walk back to Eli's room. Eli didn't answer as he blushed, especially every time they would walk by a mammal in the hall, each one stopping to stare at Eli and smile, some looking a little surprised to at the sight of a fox with a non-terrified rabbit on his back.

"Why do they keep looking at me like that?" Eli asked, feeling very self-conscious. "Do I really look that weird?"

"You don't look weird at all sweetie!" Judy answered, looking up at him on the fox's shoulders.

"Agreed buddy. They're probably all just staring because they think you're cute now-OW!" Nick winced after Judy stomped on his tail.

"I've told you before, Nick, that it's offensive for someone who isn't a rabbit to call a rabbit cute!" Judy said sternly.

"I wasn't saying it myself, I was just saying that that's how those others were seeing him!" Nick defended.

"Uh-huh." Judy rolled her eyes as they made their way to the room. "Now, _I_ get to say that Eli is outright adorable." Judy explained, making Eli blush.

"I'm going to have a hard time getting people to take me seriously, aren't I Judy?" Eli asked. She looked up at him and sighed.

"Unfortunately, yes Eli. Despite it being offensive, other mammals are going to see you as being cute from now on. And many of them are probably not going to take you very seriously as a result."

"What's more...there may be a problem with small children of larger species mistaking you for a toy bud, so you gotta be on you guard." Nick chimed in, earning him a glare from Judy. He just smirked back at her with a playful wink, while Eli continued to blush in embarrassment.

"Anyways," Judy said, changing the topic, "Mrs. Amur has informed me that you're all caught up on your lessons, so once the doctors give you the all clear, and after we get you all settled again back home, you can start going to school. How do you feel about that?"

"...Alright...I guess..." Eli trailed off, nervous at the thought of going to middle school with a bunch of different mammals, especially after being transformed into a bunny.

"Of course, we're going to need to get you an all new wardrobe again, in addition to you school supplies, since you're a little smaller than you were."

"A little? That's a bit of an understatement fluff." Nick said, while Eli hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry..." He said.

"Eli, what are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong." Judy said, feeling the pit of worry return.

"You already spent so much on me...with the clothes and the furniture..." Eli said miserably, "And now, none of that stuff fits me..."

"Eli!" Judy said in her stern voice, standing in the middle of the hallway, her left foot beginning to tap as she looked up with her arms crossed. Nick stopped as well and turned so that Eli was facing her, internally glad that she wasn't about to give _him_ another one of her lectures. "Eli, you have nothing to feel guilty about. I didn't mind buying all of those things for you in the first place. Not to mention, we can always just exchange most of everything we got. Nick _knows_ people, after all."

"Francesca definitely won't have a problem with it." Nick placated.

"Still...that's all just extra hassle...just for me..."

"It's not a hassle when it's someone you love sweetie." Judy said, with Nick taking the hint to set Eli back down in front of Judy, which she smiled her appreciation before pulling Eli into a hug. Eli hugged back, his gloomy thoughts abating, for the time being at least.

"Well now, I certainly hate to intrude on what's clearly a warm moment," Robbie said with a grin, the three now noticing the beaver's presence, "but I have some good news for ya. The doctor's are thoroughly satisfied that after one more night of observation, this little guy will be all set to be discharged tomorrow."

Eli's ears drooped again at being referred to as _little guy_ , but he quickly got over it, mostly due to Judy's excitement.

"Yes! And so, tomorrow, we'll celebrate, after we go and get you everything that you'll need! Isn't that wonderful sweetie?"

"Uhm...okay..." Eli said, feeling a little shy as a lioness in nurse's scrubs passed them in the hall, stopping to admire the small rabbit, before continuing along her way. Judy pulled him closer to her, and smiled reassuringly, making him smile back.

 _Meanwhile..._

Baily smiled as he laid out a new card spread. After waking up and coming to terms with his transformation into a timber wolf, Baily had found that it's a little more difficult to shuffle a deck of Tarot cards with paws. So, he had been practicing his shuffling and card laying techniques for the majority of his hospital stay, as a form of physical therapy. He had also had a little trouble with maintaining his balance with his new paws, but could now walk confidently, for the most part. There was a knock at his door, and Baily looked up to see Sophia happily enter, with a wide grin on her face.

"I know that this isn't exactly very well liked by rabbits, but I just saw the cutest little bunny with his mother on my way over here." The lioness gushed as she walked over and sat at the edge of Baily's bed. Sophia found that she rather liked his new look, with his stark white fur and his bushy tail.

"Oh? Why don't they like being called cute?" Sophia shrugged in response.

"Anyways, I came over to tell you that I got a chance to speak with Arnie, and he told me that the apartment and the job are both still waiting for you!"

"That's great! I'll be sure to tell him that I said thanks when I see him next!"

"Well, that's going to be tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Because, after one more night of being observed, you're getting discharged! All of your tests are pretty much finished at this point, and there's nothing abnormal about them...aside from them all now confirming that you are one hundred percent a full grown timber wolf."

Baily smiled, but looked away.

"Is something wrong Baily?"

"...So...they still don't know why we changed?"

"...No...everyone has absolutely no answer as to why this happened..." Sophia answered, feeling a little disappointed that she couldn't have given him more information, not that there was any to give.

"Well, being a wolf isn't bad. Granted, this fur is a little warm...and kinda itchy, but I can totally live with this." Sophia smiled at Baily's positive attitude.

"I'm glad." She said as she reached over and hugged him, before standing up. "Sorry Baily, but I still have got to do my rounds. Talk to you a little later? Like, when my lunch break comes up?"

"Sure." Baily said, trying not to sound too eager, a little confused at Sophia's giggle fit that started as she left.

 _I thought that I had played that cool..._ He thought to himself, right before he noticed how fast his new tail was wagging.

 _Oh..._

 _Elsewhere..._

"Amazing, truly amazing!" Edwin said into his tape recorder as he scribbled notes down into his notebook. Currently, he was at his desk at his home, a series of photos of the former humans now pinned to a corkboard on the wall nearest to him. They consisted of both before and after pictures of each human, with their names and new species written on scraps of paper taped in place beneath them. Next to the corkboard was a chalk board, with many different formulae and facts about the different humans scrawling all across it.

"So now, these aliens called humans have revealed themselves to be some form of shape-shifter." Edwin said excitedly after finishing what he was writing and slamming the journal shut.

"A truly fascinating new species. Undoubtedly, those observing and examining them will undoubtedly see just how important it is to detain these creatures for further study! Maybe some will be dissected as well!" Edwin said excitedly, his left eye beginning to twitch relentlessly.

"And so, now all those who called me crazy, and treated me with such suspicion and disdain will truly see my genius! Indeed, the only reason that I am currently not observing them myself whilst hiding is because I am currently awaiting the phone calls that are sure to come pouring in. Zootopia General Electric will probably be first, once they realize just how mistaken they were to put me on _Administrative Leave_!" The armadillo said as he whirled his chair so that he could stare at the phone. He took a second to check the time on the wall, before continuing.

"And of course, the university will be clamoring to apologize and get back into my good graces after denying my tenure and firing me!"

He continued to stare at the phone while he heard the ticking of his wall clock, which seemed to get louder to his ears.

"And that stuck-up Doctor Richards, if you can even call that snake-oil salesman a Doctor! Some psychologist he was, suggesting that I may have an underlying personality disorder...oho, they'll all see!"

Tick-Tock.

Tick-Tock.

TICK-TOCK!

 **TICK-TOCK!**

Edwin pulled off his shoe, and whipped it at the clock, shattering the glass over its face, and sending it tumbling to the floor, it's ticking stopped permanently. Edwin smiled to himself, his eye twitching once more, as he continued to stare at the phone.

 _Back at the hospital..._

Russell was once more staring into the mirror, and looking at the face of the husky staring right back at him. His new muzzle was white, with the fur turning black around his eyes, going all the way down his back. His belly, arms, legs, all four paws, and the very tip of his tail were white. He had felt very disoriented upon first waking, but had eventually recovered. There was a knock, and Barry entered. Thanks to Russell's transformation, Barry's figure was now much more imposing, since Russell had lost some height.

"Hi there Russell." Barry said softly. "How are you doing today?"

"...Okay...I guess..." Russell said, walking back over to his bed to sit, as the polar bear sat down in a nearby chair.

"That's good to hear. So, you're getting discharged tomorrow."

Russell just nodded, and Barry continued.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spitz have your room all ready for you."

"...Okay...how many other kids will I have to share it with?"

"None Russell. It'll be a room all to yourself."

"...Okay..."

Barry sighed internally. Russell had withdrawn internally somewhat after his transformation.

"I cannot even begin to understand all of these big changes for you, Russell." Barry began as Russell just looked down, not attempting to make eye contact. "But I can promise you this. I'm not going to leave you alone once you get to the Spitz residence, understand?"

Russell said nothing.

"I have spoken with Mr. and Mrs. Spitz, and they have agreed to let me see you regularly, to help you adjust."

"...Okay..."

Barry smiled sympathetically, resting a massive paw on Russell's shoulder.

"Things will get better Russell."

"...I...I wanna believe that..." Russell answered.

Barry smiled a little more.

 _Definitely an improvement._ He thought to himself.

"How you feel at this moment is perfectly valid. It's just important to try and remember that things will get better." Barry reaffirmed.

"...Okay..."

 _Still, it's an improvement._ Barry resolved.

 _Elsewhere in the hospital..._

"So, we're really doing this Emmitt?" Mrs. Otterton asked her husband, while they stood outside Sarah's room. He was holding some forms, which they had both signed.

"I think we are honey!" He said, starting to feel as giddy as she was.

"A new little otter pup! Oh, we're about to become her mommy and daddy!" She said, almost jumping up and down, accidentally jostling Emmitt and making his glasses fall a little askew. He chuckled as he adjusted them.

"And that'll make three little pups." He said.

"We're going to make her so happy!"

"Now, now. Let's not startle her when we go in, honey."

"Right." Mrs. Otterton took a second to take a breath and compose herself, unable to prevent the wide grin on her face.

"Alright, let's go have a chat with little Sarah." He said, before opening the door to let his wife enter first, entering behind her.

 **And that, dear readers, is the end of chapter 2! I hope that you enjoyed it, and , as always, feel free to leave me a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there dear readers! I am so happy to bring to you all chapter 3 of** _ **The Shift**_ **! As always, please feel free to leave a review, and be sure to check out my other stories** _ **The Fox's Path**_ **and** _ **The Thaumaturgist**_ **over on FictionPress . com!**

 **Also, be sure to check out a story titled** _ **Last Songs of the Eld Kingdom**_ **, by Aurora Hammer. They are a friend of mine who have been really busy for a while now, but now is going to be updating LSEK with new chapters.**

 **I truly hope that you enjoy!**

The Shift (Chapter 3)

by

Elite Shade

"Alright Russell, we're almost there." Barry said as he drove. He and Russell were both in his car, on their way to the Spitz's residence. Barry had felt that it would have been better for the sulking husky if he himself had been the one to drive, if nothing else than to help reaffirm that he wasn't just going to disappear from Russell's life entirely once he was at his new foster home. "How do you feel?"

"...Nervous...I guess..."

"That's perfectly natural Russell." Barry assured, smiling at Russell in the rearview mirror. Russell just shifted uncomfortably in his seat, staring out the window. They passed through the Rainforest District, and were soon entering the Meadowlands. Barry could see the old asylum in the distance, where the former mayor had had the savage mammals taken and held during the Night Howler incident.

Barry shuddered inwardly, remembering going out one morning to start jogging, and then suddenly feeling a slight stinging sensation on the back of his neck. He had later learned, after the cure had been found, that he had attacked his neighbor, putting them in the hospital, after he had turned savage. He could only remember little bits and pieces of his time while savage, and they were very confusing to him.

 _Gotta stay positive and reassuring for Russell._ The polar bear thought as he pulled into a driveway of a very large manor. The Spitz's were a very well-to-do family, unfortunately unable to conceive children, so they did the next best thing, and made their home a foster home. Barry had been friends with Patricia and Ted all the way back in high school, and had been the one to help them on several occasions with some of the more troubled children that they had taken in over the years. He knew that they were going to be a good family to look after Russell.

The house itself was two stories tall, and took up quite a bit of space. There were a few other houses on the same block, but mostly it was just empty fields and rolling hills. Off to the side, the Spitz's garden was in full bloom, with so many different colorful and vibrant flowers in view. He could see two little giraffe twins playing on a swing set just beyond the garden. Barry switched off the ignition and got out, with Russell getting out from the back seat.

"Hey there Barry!" A male voice jovially called out. Barry turned to see an adult husky, his fur coloring being white on his paws and belly, and black across his back. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt as he walked over, with a wide grin on his face.

"Hi Ted." Barry said with a smile, before gesturing to Russell. "This is Russell. Russell, this is Ted Spitz."

"...Hi..." Russell said, briefly making eye contact.

"It's nice to meet you Russell. Your new room's all ready for you, if you'd like to go see it." Ted offered. Russell wordlessly nodded in response. "Alright then, Patricia?" Ted called out.

"Yep?" A feminine voice called back, as a female husky, this one mostly white with one black patch of fur around her left ear, wearing jeans and a lavender blouse, exited the house, cradling a small gray fox kit in her arms.

"Oh, is this Russell?" She asked, now smiling warmly.

"Y-Yes." He said nervously, now noticing the little fox looking up at him with wide and curious eyes.

"Nice to finally meet you sweetie!" She said, pulling him into a one arm hug, which surprised Russell.

"Would you mind showing him to his new room? Me and Barry need to discuss some things."

"Sure thing hon. C'mon Russell! I think that you're going to like your room!" She said as she started to lead him away. Russell looked over his shoulder, and waved to Barry, who smiled and waved back.

 _Elsewhere in Zootopia..._

"Okay, and so that form's officially been submitted to the family court. We'll have to wait a few weeks before anything is official." Emmett said to his wife as she sat excitedly across from them in their living room. They could hear the kids giggling and happily playing, occasionally little Sarah's laughter drowning the other otter pups out.

"But, we've already been approved to be Sarah's temporary legal guardians. Once the new form gets officially filed away, we will become her permanent legal guardians!" Emmitt said before his wife practically tackled him in a hug.

"This is so wonderful Emmett!" She said excitedly, kissing his cheek. Just then, Sarah, giggling, jogged into the room, having quickly gotten used to walking in her new body, albeit finding her new tail to be a fun new toy. In her arms, however, was what was already her favorite toy.

"Gwacie's biggew now!" She said, holding up the plush otter that was now half Sarah's height.

"That's wonderful sweetie!" Mrs. Otterton said as she picked Sarah up in her arms, cuddling her, while Sarah squealed in delight.

 _Back at the Hopps residence..._

"Okay, you've got your binders, you notebooks, your pens and pencils and erasers." Judy said as she looked through Eli's backpack, feeling a little nervous about his first day at school. "Let's see, your gym clothes, your text books...uhm...oh, what am I forgetting?" Judy said as she wracked her brain. Eli sat across from her at the kitchen table, shrugging, his left foot starting to tap nervously.

"Maybe this?" A casual voice said as a small brown paper bag with Eli's name on it was dangled in front of Judy's face. "Thanks Nick." She said, taking it from him and zipping it up in one of the backpack's compartments, handing it to Eli. Nick had stopped by earlier in the morning, to see Eli off to his first day at West Mammalia Middle School.

"Thanks." Eli said, smiling a little. In the week since his transformation, Judy, and Nick thanks to his _knowing_ some people, were able to get Eli's entire wardrobe and bedroom replaced with clothes and furniture more suited to his new size, all at very little cost overall. What's more, Eli had finally mastered the art of walking, and even running, on his new rabbit feet.

"It's no problem, sweetie." Judy said as she walked over to Eli and pulled him into a hug.

"Okay, the bus will be at the stop in about ten minutes. Should we head on out?" Nick asked as he checked his phone.

"Sure! Ready to go sweetie?" Judy asked Eli as she let him go. He nodded, and hopped down from his chair. After slipping on his backpack, he followed Judy and Nick out the front door, and waited for a few seconds while Judy made sure that the door was locked.

"Care for another foxyback ride?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"Uhm...no thanks Nick...I think I'm a little old for that..." Eli said.

"Suit yourself." Nick said, ruffling Eli's headfur, making Judy giggle, before she took Eli's paw in hers, and the three walked towards the bus stop. There were a few other mammals milling about, but they didn't take much interest at the new arrivals. The bus, running a little earlier than usual, showed up shortly afterwards.

"Have a good day at school sweetie." Judy said, hugging Eli again.

"Just a little tip bud, the teachers usually leave the answer sheets to the tests in the bottom left drawer of their desks." Nick said, receiving a playful punch to the arm, making Eli chuckle, before he hopped up the steps. He walked down the aisle, looking for an empty seat, finding one with a small mouse on it.

"Uhm...is this seat taken?" he asked, feeling nervous.

"Nope!" The mouse boy said happily as he stood up and moved over a little for Eli, who promptly took his seat.

"I'm Eli."

"I'm Mike." The mouse said, extending a paw, which Eli shook, "But everyone calls me Big Mike."

 _Tundra Town..._

"Yes." Phyllis said as Baily grunted, moving a few pieces of furniture around. "The energy is flowing much more freely now. Excellent job Baily, you're a natural." The elephant fortune teller praised the wolf, who nodded his thanks.

"Alright, now I have three appointments today, a paw reading, and two tarot card readings. You'll be taking one of the tarot readings, and I would like for you to observe the paw reading, understood."

"Yes ma'am." Baily said, his tail wagging a little in excitement, before he noticed a smudge on one of the display cases, quickly reaching behind the register for the spray bottle of glass cleaner and a rag, wiping the spot clean. Phyllis smiled at this, but chose to say nothing for now.

 _Leave it to little Arnie to find me a diligent one._ She thought to herself, before she heard the jingle of the door opening. Turning, she saw one of her regulars.

"Ah, Mr. Lionheart, right on time as always! Please come in!" Phyllis fawned over the former mayor of Zootopia and he grinned widely, hanging up his heavy coat on the nearest rack.

"Hello there Phyllis! Shall we get started?"

"Of course. Now, I take it that you'll be once more inquiring about your chances for re-election?" The tall lion nodded vigorously.

"Naturally. I know that the whole _kidnapping_ thing of the savage animals was viewed a little...negatively by some...most...of the voters, but I'm sure that when this new flash in the pan goat..." his voice faded as he followed Phyllis into the back room, leaving Baily to stare after him in curiosity, before he shrugged and decided to start sweeping up a little while waiting for anymore customers.

Shortly after he emptied the dustpan, the door jingle signaled another customer, and Baily set the broom and pan down in their proper cubby before turning to greet who entered.

"Sophia? Hi!" Baily said, his tail wagging again, making the lioness giggle.

"Hi there Baily. Just thought that I'd stop by and say hi and see how you're doing for my lunch break."

"Pretty great, actually. My new boss is really nice, and this place is really cool."

"I'm so happy for you Baily! So uhm..." Sophia's tail swished back and forth a little. "I was wondering...uhm...when's your next day off?"

"Next Tuesday, why?"

"It is? That's great! So's mine! I was wondering if maybe you'd want to catch a movie?" Sophia asked, looking at some of the crystals on display.

"Sure, that sounds great." Before Sophia could respond, that's when Lionheart strode confidently out from the doorway to the back room.

"Once more Phyllis, you are amazing!" He called out over his shoulder to the elephant, casually winking to Sophia before grabbing his coat, and leaving, with a newfound spring in his step.

"Was that?" Sophia asked, before waving a dismissive paw. "Never mind. So, wanna go see a show in the day, at night?"

"Well, if we go to a daytime showing, maybe you could show me some more of the city?" Baily offered, now feeling suddenly nervous.

"Okay! I know this great little coffee shop that sells the **best** eclairs, ever!" She said, before an alarm on her phone started to ring.

"Oh geeze. My break's going to be over soon. Bye Baily, by Phyllis." She said.

"Bye." Baily said as he watched her leave, smiling brightly now.

"Yup, the energy is flowing nicely indeed." Phyllis chuckled to herself after watching the little display, making Baily blush.

 _Savanah Central..._

"Thanks for escorting me Renato." Lily said, unable to stop a slight purr, blushing a little. The day had finally come where Lily was moving into the new apartment provided by the _Fresh Start_ program. It had a single bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It had come already furnished, with a couch, a television, a bed, and a few other things. It was a little sparse, but to Lily, it was perfect, as she said as much.

"This really is a fresh start." The cheetah in the white sundress said aloud, her jaguar companion following her inside.

"Si." Renato said, smiling. "I can help you find anything you might need Lily. I know some people who can help work out some great deals." Renato offered, suddenly surprised by the hug that Lily pulled him into, quickly thinking to gently hug her back. They said nothing as they both stood there, enjoying the moment.

 _West Mammalia Middle School..._

"The subject known as Eli is currently in class." Edwin said into his tape recorder while scribbling some notes down, ducking periodically to hide himself from the occasional police patrol. His presence earlier staking out the school in his brother's car had apparently been noticed and concerned the school's surprisingly alert security guards. He had to ditch the car in an alley and sneak back, hiding in some bushes to continue his observations.

"So far, he, no any of the other humans, has not shifted his form yet again, at least not while I observed him. Perhaps they can maintain a single form for a long period of time, before they have to shift again, assuming of course that they need to shift at all." He said, scribbling some more notes down. A zebra guard's right ear twitched, and he turned his head in the direction of Edwin's hiding spot. The armadillo quickly creeped from bush to bush as the zebra began to investigate, deciding that it was time to head back to the car.

"This is truly absurd! I need to get ahold of one of them to experiment on if I'm ever going to get any answers!" Edwin yelled to himself as he briskly walked down the alley to the car, stopping short as he took in the sight of it. All of the windows had been smashed in, the leather interior shredded. There dings and dents all over it, and the right side mirror and heed smashed completely off. Edwin was speechless as a small fennec fox in a black shirt and camo shorts with sunglasses strolled right on by, carrying a baseball bat. The fox stopped next to Edwin and looked up.

"Next time, when you park your car, maybe don't go blocking the entire alley." He said in a surprisingly deep voice, before he continued on his way to a van. The small fox climbed inside, watched by the open-mouthed Edwin, and started the engine, immediately, some loud french-sounding rapping was heard as the van sped off. Edwin turned back to the car, and simply stared at it for a few minutes.

"Charlie's not going to be happy when I bring his car back." He said numbly into his tape recorder.

 **And there you have it dear readers! I hope that you enjoyed those little cameos, by the way. Once more, be sure to check out my other stories,** _ **The Fox's Path**_ **and** _ **The Thaumaturgist**_ **, and my friend, Aurora Hammer's Story,** _ **Last Songs of the Eld Kingdom**_ **; all over of FictionPress . com! And, as always, please feel free to leave a review!**

 **I hope that you like this new installment!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello there dear readers! I am so happy to bring you the next chapter of,** _ **The Shift**_ **! As always, feel free to leave a review! Also, be sure to check out my other stories over on FictionPress . com,** _ **The Fox's Path**_ **and** _ **The Thaumaturgist**_ **! And please, enjoy! (Warning: This is going to be an Eli heavy chapter.)**

The Shift (Chapter 4)

by

Elite Shade

"You've seriously never heard of _Sundoor_ series?" Isaac, a sci-fi loving coyote boy who Mike introduced Eli to right before class; asked incredulously as the trio made their way to the cafeteria for lunch, with Mike riding atop Eli's head, sitting right between his ears.

"Uh...no." Eli answered as they all sat down at the same table.

"Not even _Sundoor SD-1? Sundoor Eternity? Or either of the Sundoor movies?_ " Eli shook his head, almost accidentally sending the mouse boy flying.

"Hey! How about sticking with verbal responses until I get off your head first?" Mike said as he hopped onto Eli's shoulder and hopped onto the table, with Isaac snickering a little into his paw.

"Oh, sorry Mike, I forgot that you were up there."

"Ah, it's cool." Mike smiled, before shrugging off his tiny backpack, and retrieving his bag lunch from within it, just as Eli pulled out his bagged lunch, and Isaac pulled out his miniature cooler. From within his brown paper bag, Eli pulled out the two tupperware containers of a regular salad and a fruit salad, along with a small packet of carrot juice. After his transformation, Eli found that he couldn't stomach any form of meat anymore, even the insect variety that Nick had encouraged him to eat from time to time, much to his reluctance. Any meat he did try had an instantaneous nauseating effect on the young rabbit. What's more, the transformation also seemed to have altered Eli's taste buds, making carrots taste much sweeter than he remembered, along with just about every other vegetable he had tried since becoming a rabbit.

"So that fox that was with you and your mom, is he, like, your dad?" Mike asked as he enjoyed his miniature turkey sandwich, making Eli stop in mid-bite.

"Uhm...he...uh...I mean..." Eli blushed a little.

"Oh...sorry, is that a touchy subject?" Mike asked, looking up at Eli.

"Uh..it's just a little...complicated..." Eli said lamely.

"Ohhhh...you gotta fox for a stepdad." Isaac said before biting into his turkey sandwich, just before Mike jumped up and ran across the table to kick the coyote's resting paw.

"OW! What was that for? Oh...sorry Eli." Isaac said, it suddenly dawning on him that he was being a little insensitive.

"It's okay..." Eli said, hoping that his two new friends would just drop it, which thankfully, they did.

"So Eli, where're you from?" Mike asked as he resumed his own lunch.

 _Oh boy..._ Eli thought to himself.

 _One lunchtime and one more class later..._

"And that's pretty much what the show is about, barring any real spoilers though." Isaac concluded his lesson of the entire _Sundoor_ franchise to Eli, who patiently listened, before he was bumped from behind.

"Oh, excuse me." A female voice apologized as Eli turned around, looking up at a zebra girl in a red dress.

"Uh, no problem."

"Oh, you must be the new kid." She said with a friendly smile, bending down a little to offer Eli her hoof. "I'm Lyla."

"Uh...I-I'm Eli..." Eli said, taking the hoof and blushing, earning him a giggle from Lyla.

"It's nice to meet you Eli." Lyla said as they let go, and walked away to her desk.

"Hey Eli!" Eli turned, with Mike on his head again, to see Isaac waving to get their combined attention to a pair of desks right next to his. Eli sat next to a window, with Mike sitting on top of the desk next to his, since the chair was much too big, and Isaac sat excitedly next to them.

"Alright class." A large male deer entered, dressed in a suit and tie. Eli could see a name plaque on the teacher's desk, reading _Mr. Antlerson_. "Let's all settle down, and turn to page 137 in your text books." The class groaned, yet complied, pulling out their English text books.

"Now, Michael," He said, making Mike wince, "Please read aloud from the first paragraph."

 _One tedious class later..._

"I thought that class was never gonna end!" Isaac exclaimed as he, Eli, and Mike made their way out the front doors of the school, waiting aside for the literal stampede of students to pass by first.

"So, you guys wanna come over and hang out?" The excitable coyote asked as they made their way onto the bus, sitting next to each other, with Mike now riding on Isaac's head.

"Sure! Let me call my mom first though." Mike said, pulling out his phone.

"We can't really hang out at Mike's house, 'cause, y'know, it's sized for mice." Isaac whispered this explanation to Eli as Mike spoke to his mother.

"Okay...I can see that." Eli said, looking down. "But I don't think that I can...hang out...today...sorry..."

"Oh... well, that's okay! Can we hang out some other time?"

"Uhm...s-sure...if you really wanna..."

"You better believe it! Wanna exchange numbers?"

"Uhm...okay..." Eli said, pulling out his phone, and entering Isaac and Mike's numbers, and then telling them his so that they could do the same.

"Cool!" Isaac said.

It didn't take long for the bus to pull up to Eli's stop, after listening to Isaac chatter away about various sci-fi shows he recommended to Eli, while Mike dozed off on the coyote's head. Eli reflected on his first day of middle school on this strange new world, smiling at having made some new friends. He pulled out his keys to the front door, and entered, to see Judy standing right there in the living room, suddenly looking nervous, while Nick was seated on the couch, holding a controller, smirking. Noticing Judy's reaction, Eli started to worry.

"I'm...h-home." Eli said nervously. Judy smiled reassuringly, before turning to look at Nick, who gave a nod, before getting up and announcing that he was going into the kitchen to get a drink. Once he had left, Judy hopped up onto the couch, patting the cushion next to her. Eli closed the door and shrugged off his backpack, setting it onto the coffee table, before sitting down next to Judy, becoming more and more nervous.

"Sweetie...there is something that I've been meaning to ask you..." Eli held his breath.

 _At the Spitz residence..._

Russell laid on his bed, arms folded behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling. His new room was much larger than his old one. The wall paper was a light blue with a pinstripe pattern. There was a large closet, a desk with a new-looking PC on it, a large white dresser, a bookshelf stocked with many different books, and a new flat screen tv. He now had a queen-sized bed as well, which dwarfed his old twin-sized mattress back on earth.

Russell saw, out of his peripheral vision, the white door to his room swing open, and in toddled the tiny grey fox kit, whose name was Ethan, as Patricia had explained earlier when she showed Russell to his new room, carrying the small fox cradled in her arms. Russell sat up as Ethan smiled at him, walking over with his little paws reaching up to him, indicating that he wanted to be picked up. Presently, Ethan was wearing a bright green shirt with a pair of denim overalls, with the picture of a red train on the front.

"Uh...h-hey there...little guy..." Russell said, uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. The grey fox's tail swished, and he stretched his arms out again, once more wordlessly asking to be picked up. Russell, still unsure of what to do, just sat there, looking down. As he watched, the small kit's eyes seemed to grow larger, and moist, and he started making whining sounds.

"Okay, okay." Russell placated, hoping to avoid a tantrum, and gently bent down and picked Ethan up in his paws, sitting him down on the bed.

"There you go..." Russell said, still somewhat nervous, before the kit giggled and scrambled over to him, attempting to wrap his little arms around Russell in a hug.

"Uhh..." Russell said, now even more confused as to what to do next as the kit continued to cuddle him, his tail swishing, before he heard Patricia's voice.

"Ethan? Where'd you get to now, you silly little kit?"

"Uhm...h-he's in h-here..." Russell called out. Soon enough, in walked the older husky woman, smiling at the sight that greeted her.

"Awww, it looks like Ethan's taken a liking to you Russell." She said, giggling a bit, before walking over to the bed and picking Ethan right up, nuzzling him, eliciting a happy giggle. "Sorry about that Russell, I just put him down for his nap in his crib, but it would seem that once again, Ethan's proven himself to be quite the accomplished escape artist."

"Oh...uh...n-no problem." Russell mumbled, looking down. Patricia looked up from the kit, and smiled warmly at Russell.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through Russell, and I know that you have only just got here, but I promise you that me and Ted are both here for you. If you ever want to talk, about anything at all, we'll always listen." Patricia said. Russell looked up and nodded, before looking down again.

"We're having lasagna for dinner tonight, homemade. It's this special new recipe that Ted got from a friend, and he's been super excited to try it. Dinner will be at seven, okay?"

"O-Okay...Mrs. Spitz..." Russell said, making Patricia smile warmly at him again.

"Please call me Patricia hon." She said reassuringly.

"...O-Okay Patricia..."

"Now, I think it's time I try to get this little guy to take a nap again." Patricia giggled as she referred to Ethan, who's eyes were starting to droop a little. She gave Russell another bright smile, before walking out with the sleepy kit. As she left, Russell looked up to see Ethan peering at him over her shoulder, smiling and waving. Russell waved back, a small smile forming on his muzzle.

 _Back at the Hopps residence..._

Judy was hugging Eli close to her, wiping away a small tear as she smiled, looking down at the younger rabbit.

 _He actually said yes!_ Judy thought excitedly, right before they ended the hug, just as Nick strolled back in, smirking at Judy as usual, while discreetly taking a few pictures of them hugging.

 _Knowing Fluff, she'll want these for the album._ He thought as he put his phone away, and leaned against the couch, a soda in paw.

"So I take it that Eli has agreed to join the Hopps family." Nick said casually.

"You would be correct, slick Nick." Judy said, before turning back to Eli.

"Sweetie, now, there are some details that we're going to have to go over, but that can wait a little while. How was your first day?"

"Uhm...it was okay."

"Just okay?"

"Yeah. I was kinda nervous...all day...but I think I made some friends..."

"Oh?" Judy said, feeling excited not only at Eli agreeing to the adoption but also at the prospect of her kit making friends.

 _My_ _kit..._ Judy thought, needing to wipe away another lone tear, as she continued to listen to Eli's description of his first day at West Mammalia Middle School.

"It sounds like a pretty good, albeit kinda boring, first day." Nick said, taking a sip of his grape soda, while Judy rolled her eyes, before suddenly surprising Eli by pulling him into another hug.

"I'm so happy Eli!"

Eli, unsure of what to say at this moment, just silently hugged her back, before feeling the fur on his head being ruffled by Nick.

"I wonder how your new grandma and grandpa are going to take the news." Nick slips in, enjoying the look of surprise on Judy and Eli's faces.

 _Meanwhile..._

Edwin looked down at his buzzing phone, hitting _Ignore_ when he saw his brother Charlie's name.

 _More than likely, he's calling about the car._ Edwin sighed. He had returned the car, only once he was sure that his brother wasn't home, leaving a note explaining what had happened, and how it was a small price to pay for the betterment of scientific inquiry regarding extraterrestrial beings, on the dashboard, before making his way back home, and down into his basement.

"In the end, he'll understand what a small sacrifice this was, in the greater scheme of things." Edwin said into his tape recorder, as he poured over his notes from his observation of the former human boy, Eli, today.

"One day...they'll all understand...sometimes, we must put aside our silly notions and attachments. In order to move forward..." Edwin trailed off as his phone started to vibrate again, stopping himself just before he hit the ignore button, seeing the name _Duke Weaselton_. He accepted the call, trying desperately to hold back his excitement.

"Ah, Mr. Weasleton! How good of you to call! Shall I assume then that you managed to procure-oh...I see." Edwin said as he started writing down numbers in a nearby notepad.

"Alright...yes." Edwin said, his excitement beginning to grow.

"YES!" Duke said vigorously as he stood up, knocking his chair over.

"Ahem, I mean, that is most satisfactory, Mr. Weasleton. Now, how much will you be needing?" Edwin said, writing down the figure that Duke was now insisting on.

"O-Oh...I see...uh...n-no! That won't be a problem at all! I can get the money, once I am finished with the device, I will undoubtedly come into the funds necessary for my research, and I'll be able to pay you from tha-"

Edwin paused as he listened to the weasel on the other end of the conversation.

"I see...o-okay...I can get you the money, yes...yes, I'll have it ready for you when I com pick it up...yes...good day Mr. Wease-" Edwin looked at his phone, seeing the words _Call Ended_ , and breathing a heavy sigh.

"Yes...small sacrifices...in the end..." Edwin said as he sat back down, and began to wrack his brain for a way to come up with the amount that the weasel was demanding be paid upfront.

"I don't think that Charlie's going to be lending me any money...or anything else for that matter, for quite a while to come..." Edwin said as he rubbed his temples.

 **There we have it, dear readers! I sure do hope that you enjoyed this new chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there dear readers! Here is the next chapter of** _ **The Shift**_ **, ready for your reading pleasure! Please enjoy, and feel free to leave me a review!**

The Shift (Chapter 5)

by

Elite Shade

Lily was sitting on her couch, her spotted tail gently swishing, as she sipped at her mug of tea. She was currently reading a thrilling and engaging mystery novel by one _Agatha Friskie_ , the black and white photo on the back depicting an elderly beagle woman. Lily then marked her place in the story and set the book down. She stretched out a bit to yawn, and smiled when she saw the vase of white lilies that Renato had given her yesterday. Checking the time on her phone, she saw that she had an hour left to get ready. She stood up, stretched a little more, and made her way to the bathroom to shower.

After she had finished, she looked in her still slightly sparse wardrobe for something nice to wear, settling on a crisp white sundress. She checked her reflection in the mirror, wondering about a little blush for her cheeks. Since her transformation, Lily had yet to master the art of applying make-up to a face covered in fur.

As it was, she had been sporting an au natural look, Renato insisting that she looked beautiful as she was. She couldn't help the girlish giggle at the thought of how flustered he had been after he had said that. That had been yesterday, after he had brought her the lilies, shortly before he had looked rather nervous. After a few moments of what was mainly the jaguar stammering and fidgeting in his seat, he managed to ask her out to a movie. She smiled as she fondly remembered the way his face lit up after she had said yes.

Looking at her phone, she realized that she only had a few more minutes before Renato arrived. She quickly grabbed her purse and double checked to make sure that she wasn't forgetting anything and made her way back into the living room. She downed the rest of her now cooled tea, depositing the mug into the sink. She had just slipped on the white sandals that matched the dress perfectly when she heard a knock at her door. She looked through the pep hole to see Renato's face, looking nervous. She opened the door and greeted him.

"Hello Renato." Lily said as she noted the deep blue sports blazer, light grey dress shirt and jeans he was wearing.

"Lily...uh...h-hi!" He said, clearly nervous. The cheetah smiled at him warmly.

"So, any ideas about what film we're to see tonight?" Lily asked as she gently took his offered arm and the two began making their way down the stairs.

"Uh...w-well...ahem!" Renato cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I had a couple of ideas. What movies do you usually prefer?"

"Well personally, I like a good horror." Lily replied simply as they made their way to the parking lot, heading to Renato's car.

"Really?" Renato asked, genuinely surprised. Lily suddenly felt a pit form in her stomach, worried that she may have just made herself seem odd.

"I love scary movies!" Renato's declaration bringing a sigh of relief to Lily.

"As do I! I think that it's fun to be scared and creeped out every now and again... if it's a good one. Although, I have seen my fair share of lousy ones that were just hilarious to watch!" She smiled when she heard a chuckle come from Renato.

"Then I think you would like a certain classic from the 80's called _Homicidal Mimes From Deep Space_." He said as he hit a button on his keychain and unlocked the doors, holding Lily's open for her as she got in.

"That sounds absolutely perfect for a laugh!" Lily said, already giggling at the silly premise.

"I'll see about finding a copy sometime...perhaps we could watch it together?" Renato asked as he started the engine.

"I'd like that." Lily said after buckling her seatbelt. Renato smiled as he did the same and the pulled out of the parking lot.

"Okay, scary movies...well, we have two options for tonight. _Nocturnal Cries_ or _Twitch_."

 _Meanwhile..._

"And how was she at Daycare today?" Emmett asked his wife over the phone as he waited for the bus at a stop near the DMV, having went in at 9 AM to get his license renewed and finishing up at around 9 PM.

"They said that she was just a little angel. They said that she did start crying when she lost Gracie, but the second that they found her stuffed toy, she was right back to her usual self." She said with a chuckle.

"And are the kids asleep now?"

"Yep, although Sarah kept trying to stay up for you to get home and read her a bedtime story."

"Awww, I'll have to make it up to her tomorrow night then, maybe with two stories."

"That's pretty much what I had to promise after I tucked her in."

Emmett smiled as the bus pulled up.

"My bus is here honey, so I'll be home shortly."

"Alright, see you in a little bit."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

 _Back at the Hopps residence..._

"Nervous sweetie?" Judy asked Eli as he stared off into space once again while sitting at his desk. He had gone up earlier to do his homework assignment due on Monday, followed by packing his suitcase for their trip to visit the rest of his new adopted family at Bunnyburrow. Unfortunately he had been taking a while, and Judy had gone up to check on him only to see that her kit was zoning out in between scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Huh?" Eli said, surprised to suddenly see Judy standing there, looking a little worried. "Oh...uh...I guess..." He mumbled while looking down.

"Eli, I promise that you have nothing to be worried about. Your grandma and grandpa are both super excited to meet their newest grandkit! Not to mention how thrilled all of your aunts and uncles are going to be to finally meet you as well! And of course, we can't go forgetting your cousins." Judy said with a reassuring smile.

"I guess...I'm just scared that maybe after they meet me they'll realize that maybe they don't want me to be the newest addition to the Hopps family." Eli said, his ears drooping. Judy looked at the pre-teen grey rabbit kit with sympathy in her eyes.

"That's not going to happen." Judy said gently, yet resolutely.

"How...can you be so sure? I might be considered a freak to them."

"Eli, you are not a freak, you are MY kit. And I know this because they are MY family. And guess what bud, they're yours now too." Judy said with a twinkle in her eye.

"...But..." Eli looked up and then looked away again. Judy knelt down to eye level with him, as she had been prone to do since his transformation to a rabbit, and gently tilted his head back up under his chin with her paw.

"But what?"

"What if...someone there thinks that you made a mistake...adopting me?"

 _Being passed from one foster home to another has definitely left him with some serious emotional scars._ Judy thought to herself as she felt a pit of sorrow for Eli form in her stomach.

"Sweetie? Are you afraid that I'm going to abandon you?" Judy asked, hoping that she wasn't sounding accusatory. Eli looked guilty as he turned his head and wordlessly nodded.

"Sweetie, you're MY kit now. And there is absolutely nothing and no one who will ever be able to change that." Eli looked back to her, his eyes tearing up a little.

"I love you mom." His voice was but a whisper, not that that prevented the older rabbit from hearing him just fine. Judy smiled and felt tears prickle at the back of her eyes as well.

"I love you too Eli." She said as she pulled him into a tight hug.

 _Outside the Hopps residence..._

An armadillo dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans was watching Judy's house with a pair of binoculars, growing more and more frustrated at his inability to peer through the closed curtains at the occupants inside. As usual, Edwin whipped out his trusty tape recorder and hit the record button.

"As has become my unfortunately accepted norm, I find that I am unable to properly observe the very first human specimen. The creature appears to be assimilating into the role of an adolescent rabbit flawlessly, having its adoptive mother figure caring for it along with a surrogate father figure that annoyingly hangs around and seems to be eager to spend time with both of them, which has forced me who knows how many possible breakthroughs in my observations with his comings and goings! Three times already that fox, Officer Nicholas Wilde of the ZPD, has almost stumbled upon me." Edwin grumbled as he opened his thermos and poured himself another cup of coffee which he drank before continuing.

"As luck would have it though, this little mockery of a family unit is going to be taking a trip tomorrow out to a town called Bunnyburrow, for some reason or another, for the entire weekend. My research has concluded that the town shall be rural enough with multiple locations to conceal myself. This, combined with my ability to take out a loan from my brother Charlie, who really needs to conceal his credit card information better, has allowed for me to obtain the funds sufficient to purchase a very special gun from Mr. Weaselton. Not only the gun, but the special ammunition as well. After I hit the creature calling itself Eli with a dose of the Nighthowler serum, I shall record his savage behavior and post it online, for all the world to see and be horrified by. Then the public opinion shall sway in my favor, allowing for me to have it detained for a proper examination and dissection." Edwin's paws were practically shaking in excitement. He started to giggle madly to himself from his hiding place in the bushes, before he settled down and resumed his watch, smirking.

 _In the Nocturnal District..._

"I have to say Sophia," Baily said while looking up at the large white moon in the sky from where he was sitting at an outdoor cafe, before looking back at the smiling face of the lioness, "you were right about this place's eclairs."

"I know, right?" Sophia said, her tail swishing a little back and forth as she regarded the wolf seated across from her.

"This place has got a really good atmosphere here."

"I know. I love coming here. But I prefer to have some company with me instead of coming here alone."

"What about your friends? I'm assuming someone like you has got loads of them!"

"I have a few yes, but none of them are really nocturnal mammals." Sophia answered before a thought struck her. "What d'you mean by someone like me?"

"Oh, well I mean someone as nice, and caring, and pretty, and energetic as you." Baily answered, suddenly blushing underneath his fur. Sophia was a little taken aback, but broke out into a fit of giggles for a few moments while Baily sat there feeling his cheeks burn.

"So, would you like to go out on an official date?" Sophia asked as her giggle fit subsided.

"Wait, what?!" Baily asked, his eyes going wide.

"Oh I think that you heard me just fine wolfy. So, how about it?" Sophia said projecting an outward appearance of confidence, while inwardly feeling suddenly nervous about Baily's answer.

"I...uh...I wasn't expecting that Sophia..."

"Oh...uh...I see, well, I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that-"

"YES!" Baily said, drawing some attention. His ears laid flat on his head as his tail tried to tuck itself between his legs from where he was sitting. "I mean, yes, I would really like to go out on a...date with you."

Sophia's muzzle broke out into a wide grin.

 _Back at the Spitz residence..._

Russell was laying in his bed, just staring up at the ceiling. Once again he couldn't sleep, still thinking about the craziness that had happened since he had come home from school that day.

 _Is any of this real?_ he wondered for the umpteenth time. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the white door to his room silently swing open. He felt a small chill of fear creep down his spine, until he saw in the dim twilight the familiar form of a certain little fox kit toddle in. Russell sat up and turned on his bedside lamp.

"Hey buddy." Russell had certainly warmed up to the little fox since he had arrived, as well as the other foster kids for that matter, although Ethan had definitely made his liking of the teen husky abundantly clear. From the worried look on the little kit's face as he stood there in his light blue footie pajamas and hugging his yellow stuffed rabbit, looking up at Russell pleadingly.

 _Another nightmare._ Russell said with a reassuring smile.

"Okay buddy, okay." Russell said while reaching down to gently pick the kit up and setting him down on his bed. The second Russell let go, Ethan giggled and started wriggling under the covers, snuggling up next to him. Russell smiled and patted Ethan's back before turning out the light and laying back down. He soon heard soft little snores coming from the little kit, and soon started to feel lulled to sleep as well.

 _Please be real..._ Russell thought as he too drifted off to sleep.

 _Later at the ZPD Precinct..._

Benjamin Clawhauser yawned and stretched as he made his way out the front doors towards the parking lot after a long shift. He had been excited to learn that the scientists monitoring some electrical equipment declared that another power surge happened three blocks away, unfortunately with no one finding any trace of another new human having appeared yet. He was reaching for his keys when he sniffed, stopping when he smelled something unusual.

"Is that gasoline?" He wondered, suddenly worried that the tank in his car had sprung a leak. He searched for the source of the smell, and was mildly relieved after confirming that it wasn't coming from his car, but continuing searching for the source. Despite his size and usual cheery demeanor, the chubby cheetah took his job very seriously. The smell led him away from the parking lot and towards a door to a warehouse. That's when he started to hear a muffled voice calling for help. After three tries to kick the door in, he finally realized that it was unlocked.

The light of the moon in the doorway shone upon a figure bound to a chair on its side, wriggling in the center of the room. Clawhauser quickly confirmed that the smell of gasoline was coming from the figure, who appeared to be drenched in it. The moment that the figure turned his head, duct tape covering its mouth, their eyes went wide.

 _O...M...G! It's really one of them! A human!_ Benjamin was briefly excited, until he took in the sight of the mammal before him. In addition to being bound to the chair and silenced, the figures face was very clearly bloodied and bruised. Then Benjamin noticed that the human, whom he guessed was male, was wearing a uniform similar to his own. A badge was twinkling in the moonlight. Immediately, Benjamin had his radio whipped out and was reporting his find, before entering. The very first thing he did was, as gently as possible, remove the tape from the human's mouth.

"Who...what are you?" The voice, scratchy and clearly male, asked, with a note of fear.

"Uh...W-well, I'm Officer Benjamin Clawhauser of the Zootopia Police Department. Everything's going to be okay. What's your name."

Deep blue eyes stared at Benjamin in disbelief. "I'm Sergeant Walter Cruz of the Los Angeles Police Department."

"Uh...w-well, uh...Sergeant...Welcome to Zootopia." Benjamin said, smiling as sirens approached the warehouse.

 **And there you have it folks! I hope that you enjoyed the new installment! Please feel free to leave a review!**


End file.
